Shaping tool having a rotatable base member

ABSTRACT

A shaping tool as depicted in exemplary FIG.  3  comprising a rotatable base member having at least one profiled bending roller ( 13 ) which is mounted on a circular track and is rotatable about a rotation axis. The bending roller ( 13 ) arranged on a radially movable slide ( 11 ) is movable from a position defining a maximum working aperture for the tool, by means of a spring-loaded lever ( 9 ) which has an axial configuration, into a position defining a minimum working aperture for the tool.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For administering inhalable pharmaceutical formulations of activesubstances, the patient uses hand-held, manually operated inhalers inwhich the pharmaceutical active substance formulation is contained in aninhaler cartridge. The inhaler cartridge consists of an externalaluminium cartridge and a plastic container inserted therein, theplastic container being produced by co-extrusion and comprising a rigidouter container and a flexible inner pouch disposed inside it. In orderto create a pressure equalisation opening between the inner pouch andthe outer container, an opening is formed in the relatively rigid outercontainer by the so-called cut-crack-open process, for example. Theplastic container is filled with the pharmaceutical active substanceformulation and sealed, and inserted into the aluminium cartridge duringthe manufacturing process to form the inhaler cartridge. In a subsequentstep, a deformed wall region is formed in the aluminium cartridge in theupper region of the inhaler cartridge thus assembled, this deformedregion bearing on the outer surface of the plastic container inserted inthe aluminium cartridge. To form the attachment region on the upper edgeof the aluminium cartridge a drawing process is used in which a rotatingdrawing tool moves with its working aperture for the tool from aboveover the attachment region to be formed on the aluminium cartridge andthereby brings profiled drawing rollers arranged around the workingaperture for the tool into contact with the outer surface of thealuminium cartridge, in order to shape the attachment region by axialmovement. Then in another manufacturing step the aluminium cartridge isapplied in gastight manner against the outside of the plastic containerdisposed therein, which is filled with a pharmaceutical active substanceformulation.

In the case of a shaping tool known in the art, comprising a rotatablebase member with profiled bending rollers arranged on a circular trackand rotatable about a rotation axis, the bending rollers are moved in aradial pivoting movement in one plane from a maximum working aperturefor the tool into a minimum working aperture for the tool. This shapingtool has proved problematic in its reliability and susceptibility tobreakdown.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problem that the invention sets out to solve is to provide a shapingtool of the kind mentioned hereinbefore which is reliable in operation.

According to the invention the problem is solved by the fact that thebending roller arranged on a radially movable slide is movable from aposition that defines a maximum working aperture for the tool, by meansof a spring-loaded lever with an axial configuration, into a positionthat defines a minimum working aperture for the tool.

Since the shaping tool rotates, the workpiece, i.e. the inhalercartridge which is to be produced, filled with a liquid active substanceformulation, can be fixed in place, thereby preventing foaming of theactive substance formulation. The shaping tool is positioned relative tothe workpiece, while the bending roller is located in the positiondefining the maximum working aperture for the tool. By an adjustingmovement using the lever, the bending roller is moved into the positiondefining the minimum working aperture for the tool. The profiled bendingroller is matched to the contour that is to be produced and as a resultof the radial adjustment an encircling radius, for example, is producedin rotationally symmetrical manner on an upper edge of the obviouslycylindrical workpiece, whereby after an initial adjustment ordetermination of the diameter of the minimum working aperture for thetool a reliable product which is accurate in its shape and dimensions isobtained. The resetting of the bending roller from the minimum workingaperture for the tool to the maximum working aperture for the tool iscarried out by means of a radially acting compression spring.

According to a further feature, in the center, an axially actingdepressor for the clamped workpiece is provided and a pressing memberthat is conical at least in parts is axially movable under springloading relative to the depressor, while the pressing member cooperateswith one end of the lever in order to move the bending roller into theminimum working aperture for the tool. When the rotating shaping toolmoves axially downwards, first of all the depressor makes contact withthe workpiece, which consists of an aluminium cartridge with a plasticcontainer inserted therein. The depressor presses the plastic containerinto the aluminium cartridge and holds the workpiece. Thus the depressorperforms the function of positioning the plastic container in thealuminium cartridge. At this height in which the depressor secures theworkpiece in the axial direction, the bending roller is also positionedat the required height. During further downward motion the pressingmember is moved downwards and the cone of the pressing member acts uponthe lever in order to shift the bending roller in the radial directioninto the position of the minimum working aperture for the tool where theworkpiece has its end contour. In the event of incorrect axialpositioning, the pressing member would act upon the lever too early ortoo late, resulting in a defective and in particular non-gastight endcontour.

In order to convert the axial movement of the pressing member into theradial direction of movement of the bending roller the lever ispreferably provided, at its end facing the pressing member, with aroller that rolls on the pressing member and at its opposite end it ispivotably connected to the slide.

So that the bending roller comes to engage with the workpiece in arectilinear motion, a fixable eccentric bolt is expediently inserted ina bore in the slide, on the one hand, and in an oblong hole in thelever, on the other. The eccentric bolt is provided to allow fine-tuningof the minimum working aperture for the tool. By rotation of this bolt,the slide with the bending roller is moved in the direction of theworkpiece or in the opposite direction while the pressing member staysin the same position. Once the contour to be produced with the bendingroller has been shaped according to requirements, the eccentric bolt issecured for example by means of screws acting thereon. The eccentricbolt thus serves for radial adjustment of the bending roller. When theradial position of the bending roller is determined for example byvarying the diameter of the roller associated with the lever which rollsover the pressing member, it is not essential to provide an eccentricbolt.

In order to achieve a defined deflection of the respective direction ofmovement reliably and reproducibly, the lever is preferably pivotablymounted on a carrier member. The carrier member is fixedly positionedrelative to the slide in the axial direction and the pressing member ismovable relative to the carrier member.

When the bending roller is in its radial end position in which itdescribes the minimum working aperture for the tool and the finaldimensions of the workpiece have been achieved, a yielding movement isnecessary in order to prevent further advancing of the bending rollerwith resultant destruction of the workpiece. According to a furtherfeature, the lever has two arms articulated to one another between whicha spring-loaded overload prevention device acts. In a radial position ofthe bending roller in which the final dimensions of the workpiece havebeen achieved, the overload prevention device ensures that the two armsof the lever pivot counter to the action of a spring, in order toprevent a further radial shift of the bending roller and consequentdamage to the workpiece. However, with the spring-loaded overloadprevention device it is also possible to generate the pressure needed toensure the deformation and any tolerances in the workpiece can beequalised. The spring of the overload prevention device may be effectiveboth with an undersized workpiece and with an oversized one and willalways clamp the bending roller against the workpiece.

According to one feature, at least one shaping roller for producing acrimp is rotatably mounted on an axis of the slide adjacent to thebending roller. Expediently, the slide is slidably mounted by means of atongue and groove guide in a guide portion that is connected to thecarrier member.

For reproducibly adjusting the height of the shaping tool by simplemeans, a cam roller advantageously cooperates with a cam control for theaxial movement of the shaping tool. The travel speeds and distances maybe decided by means of the control cam of the cam control in knownmanner.

Expediently, three radially adjustable slides each having one lever arearranged in a star shape with one another. The workpiece can be shapedrelatively uniformly with the equidistantly distributed bending andshaping rollers and a high surface quality can be achieved at a highshaping speed while adhering to relatively narrow tolerances of form anddimensions.

A retaining device fixes the workpiece, which consists of an aluminiumcartridge and a plastic container, coaxially with respect to alongitudinal axis along which the shaping tool travels vertically. Theretaining device may be part of a conveying and/or packaging apparatus,for example in the form of a rotary plate machine or a conveyor belt.

The shaping tool described above is used for profiling a neck region ofan inhaler cartridge which consists of an exterior aluminium cartridgeand a plastic container placed therein which holds an active substanceformulation. The plastic container can be produced by the co-extrusionmethod and may comprise a rigid outer container and a flexible innerpouch disposed therein. In the course of manufacture, the plasticcontainer is filled with the pharmaceutical active substance formulationand sealed.

The inhaler cartridge manufactured with the shaping tool is used as astorage container in a nebuliser for dispensing a specified amount of afluid, particularly one that contains a medicament, as an aerosolthrough a nozzle from a pressurised store, wherein a mechanical pressuregenerator acts upon the measured out fluid in the pressurised storewhich is to be released in one go for nebulisation. A known nebuliser ismarketed by Boehringer Ingelheim KG under the brand name “Respimat” inthe form of an inhaler and is shown in WO 91/14468 A1 and in WO 97/12687A1.

It will be understood that the features mentioned above and to beexplained hereinafter may be used not only in the particular combinationspecified but also in other combinations. The scope of the invention isdefined only by the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is hereinafter explained in more detail by means of twoembodiments by way of example, by reference to the attached drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of a shaping tool according tothe invention.

FIG. 2 is a view from below of the shaping tool according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic partial representation of the shaping toolaccording to FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial representation of the shaping tool according to FIG.1 in section.

FIG. 5 is another representation of the shaping tool according to FIG. 4in section.

FIG. 6 is a representation of a nebuliser with an inhaler cartridgeproduced using the shaping tool according to FIG. 1, in section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The shaping tool comprises a rod 2 mounted in a hollow shaft 1 andconnected to a rotary drive (not shown). An axial up and down movementof the shaping tool is controlled by means of a radially mounted camroller 3 on the tool side, which cooperates with a cam control. In ahousing 4 are various mounting, coupling and spring elements.

Underneath the housing 4 is secured a pressing member 5 with a conicalregion 6 and underneath the pressing member 5 are a carrier member 7 anda guide portion 8, while pivotably mounted in the carrier member 7 arethree levers 9 which comprise, at one end, rollers 10 cooperating withthe pressing member 5, while the opposite ends from the rollers 10 actupon slides 11 mounted in the guide portion 8. Each of the slides 11 hasa bending roller 13 and a shaping roller 14 on a spindle 12.

By means of the pivotable levers 9, the bending rollers 13 can be movedout of a position that defines a maximum working aperture for the toolinto a position that defines a minimum working aperture for the tool.Specifically, in a downward movement of the rotating shaping tool asindicated by the arrow 16, a depressor 15 first of all presses directlyon a workpiece 17, namely an inhaler cartridge 36. As the downwardmovement continues, the levers 9 are pivoted in the direction of thearrow 18 as a result of the activity of the conical region 6 of thepressing member 5 and the pivoting movement of the lever 9 is convertedinto a radial advancing movement of the slide 11 in the direction of thearrow 19, in order to move the bending roller 13 and the shaping roller14 into their end position in which they describe the minimum workingaperture for the tool. When the shaping tool is moved axially upwards,the levers 9 are pivoted by means of radially acting compression springssupported on an intermediate ring 20 so that the bending roller 13 andthe shaping roller 14 are moved into a position in which they describethe maximum working aperture for the tool.

In order to avoid damage to the workpiece 17, which consists of analuminium cartridge 21 with a plastic container 38 inserted therein, thelever 9 comprises, according to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, two arms 22articulated to one another, between which a spring-loaded overloadprevention device 23 acts. The first arm 22 of the lever 9 comprises anoblong hole 24 through which projects an eccentric bolt 25 fixablyconnected to the slide 11. Moreover, a blind bore 26 for a radiallyacting restoring spring is formed in this arm 22. The first arm 22 andthe second arm 22 of the lever 9 are connected via a common swivel joint27 to a pin 28 engaging in the carrier member 7. In the regionunderneath the roller 10 associated with the pressing member 5, a spring29 is arranged on a guide pin 30 such that the second arm 22 ispivotable relative to the first arm 22 of the lever 9 counter to theaction of the spring 29, in order to bias the bending roller 13 relativeto the workpiece 17 and equalise the tolerances of the workpiece 17. Inparticular the second arm 22 is pivotable relative to the first arm 22of the lever 9 counter to the action of the spring 29 when the bendingroller 13 and the shaping roller 14 have reached their end positions andthe pressing member 5 is exerting further force on the lever 9.

With the bending rollers 13 a radius 33 is formed in the circumferentialedge region of the workpiece 17, the free edge of the aluminiumcartridge 21 being shaped by the fact that it rests on the free end faceof the plastic container. The shaping rollers 14 serve essentially toshape two encircling groove-like crimps 34 in a drawn neck region 35 ofthe workpiece 17.

The inhaler cartridge 36 is used in a nebuliser 37 which is used tonebulise a fluid 39, particularly a highly potent medicament, and is inthe form of a portable inhaler that operates without propellant gas.When the fluid 2, preferably a liquid, is nebulised, an aerosol isformed which can be breathed in by a user (not shown).

The nebuliser 37 comprises the inhaler cartridge 36 holding the fluid39, which can be inserted in the opened nebuliser 37 from below. Inorder to nebulise a predetermined adjustable amount of the fluid 39, thenebuliser 37 comprises a pressure generator 41 surrounding a piston,with a holder 42 for the inhaler cartridge 36, a drive spring 43 with amanually operated release button 44 for releasing the pressure, aconveying tube 40 with a non-return valve 45 inserted, a pressurechamber 46 and a nozzle 47, with which a mouthpiece 48 is associated.

As the drive spring 43 is axially tensioned by rotation of a lowerhousing part 49 with an inner part 50 releasably attached thereto,relative to an upper housing part 51 formed on the mouthpiece 48, theholder 42 is moved downwards with the inhaler cartridge 36 and theconveying tube 40 and fluid 39 is sucked out of the inhaler cartridge 36through the non-return valve 45 into the pressure chamber 46 associatedwith the piston of the pressure generator 41. During the subsequentabrupt relaxation of the drive spring 43 by actuating the release button44, the fluid 39 in the pressure chamber 46 is pressurised by the drivespring 43 moving the conveying tube 40 upwards and is expelled throughthe nozzle 47, whereupon nebulisation takes place. The nebulisationtakes place for example in particles in the μm range, preferably inparticles around 20 μm in size, which form a mist or jet of aerosol. Auser is able to inhale the aerosol, while supply air can be sucked inthrough supply air openings 52 in the mouthpiece 48.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   -   1. hollow shaft    -   2. rod    -   3. cam roller    -   4. housing    -   5. pressing member    -   6. conical region    -   7. carrier member    -   8. guide portion    -   9. lever    -   10. roller    -   11. slide    -   12. spindle    -   13. bending roller    -   14. shaping roller    -   15. depressor    -   16. arrow    -   17. workpiece    -   18. arrow    -   19. arrow    -   20. intermediate ring    -   21. aluminium cartridge    -   22. arm of 9    -   23. overload prevention device    -   24. oblong hole    -   25. eccentric bolt    -   26. blind bore    -   27. swivel joint    -   28. pin    -   29. spring    -   30. guide pin    -   33. radius    -   34. crimp    -   35. neck region    -   36. inhaler cartridge    -   37. nebuliser    -   38. plastic container    -   39. fluid    -   40. conveying tube    -   41. pressure generator    -   42. holder    -   43. drive spring    -   44. release button    -   45. non-return valve    -   46. pressure chamber    -   47. nozzle    -   48. mouthpiece    -   49. lower housing part    -   50. inner part    -   51. upper housing part    -   52. supply air openings

We claim:
 1. A shaping tool, comprising: a rotatable base member havinga plurality of profiled bending rollers that are mounted on a circulartrack and are rotatable about a rotation axis, each of the bendingrollers being arranged on a respective radially movable slide that ismovable from a first position that defines a maximum working aperturefor the tool, radially inwardly to a second position that defines aminimum working aperture for the tool; a plurality of lever arms, eachlever arm including a first end, an opposing second end, and a fulcrumabout which the lever arm rotates, and each lever arm including firstand second arm portions that articulate with respect to one another andbetween which a spring-loaded overload prevention device acts, whereinthe second end of each lever arm is coupled to a respective one of theslides such that: (a) rotation of the lever arms in a first rotationdirection causes: (i) the respective slides to move from the respectivefirst positions radially inwardly toward the rotation axis of therotatable base member to the respective second positions; and (ii) therespective profiled bending rollers to move toward one another andtoward the rotation axis to achieve the minimum working aperture betweenthe profiled bending rollers, and (b) rotation of the lever arms in anopposite, second rotation direction causes: (i) the respective slides tomove from the respective second positions radially outwardly away fromthe rotation axis of the rotatable base member to the respective firstpositions; and (ii) the respective profiled bending rollers to move awayfrom one another and away from the rotation axis to achieve the maximumworking aperture between the profiled bending rollers, a pressing memberengaging each of the first ends of the lever arms and operating tosimultaneously rotate the lever arms about the respective fulcrums, incommanded ones of the first and second rotation directions, therebycausing the shaping tool to achieve commanded ones of the maximum andminimum working apertures, wherein at least an unformed portion ofworkpiece is disposed within the maximum working aperture, the basemember is rotated, and the pressing member actuated such that thepressing member simultaneously rotates the lever arms about therespective fulcrums in the first rotation direction, and such that theprofiled bending rollers move radially inwardly toward one another,toward the rotation axis, toward the minimum working aperture, andthereby rotationally engage the at least one unformed portion of theworkpiece to produce a formed portion of the workpiece.
 2. The shapingtool according to claim 1, further comprising a depressor disposed andmovable in an axially aligned orientation with the rotational axis ofthe base member, and operating to hold the workpiece fixed duringengagement of the profiled bending rollers.
 3. The shaping toolaccording to claim 1, wherein: the pressing member includes a conicallyshaped surface oriented axially with the rotational axis of the basemember, and each of the lever arms includes a roller at the first endthereof slidably engaging the conically shaped surface of the pressingmember such that axial movement of the pressing member: (i) toward thebase member causes the lever arms to simultaneously rotate in the firstrotational direction, and (ii) away from the base member causes thelever arms to simultaneously rotate in the second rotational direction.4. The shaping tool according to claim 3, further comprising arespective fixable eccentric bolt extending through a respective bore ofeach slide, and through a respective oblong hole of each lever arm. 5.The shaping tool according to claim 1, further comprising a carriermember to which each of the lever arms is pivotally coupled at therespective fulcrums.
 6. The shaping tool according to claim 1, whereinat least one shaping roller for producing a crimp is rotatably mountedon a respective spindle of each slide, adjacent to the respectivebending roller.
 7. The shaping tool according to claim 5, wherein eachslide is slidably mounted on a respective tongue and groove guide in arespective guide portion of the base member, each guide portion beingconnected to the carrier member.
 8. The shaping tool according to claim1, wherein a cam roller cooperates with a cam control for the axialmovement of the shaping tool.
 9. The shaping tool according to claim 1,wherein three radially adjustable slides each having one of the leverarms are arranged in a star shape with one another.
 10. The shaping toolaccording to claim 1, further comprising a retaining device operating tofix the workpiece coaxially with respect to a longitudinal axis alongwhich the shaping tool travels vertically, wherein the workpiece is analuminum cartridge and a plastic container.